Gov. Bobby Jindal's 2013 budget proposal calls for money to be swept from the Artificial Reef Development Fund and used for general expenses. Rebecca Triche told Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries commissioners Thursday her organization wants to make sure such a thing never happens again.

Triche, executive director of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, told commissioners her organization's 8,500 members would like to see the money in the fund constitutionally protected.

As such, the LWF is backing SB 128, introduced by Sen. Bret Allain (R-Franklin). The bill would establish an amendment to the constitution that would protect the fund. Because it's a constitutional amendment, the bill would need to pass the Legislature with a two-thirds vote before being presented to the public for an up-or-down vote in November 2014.

"The Rigs to Reefs program is successful," Triche told the commission. "We all know the benefits that fishing has to our economy. It's important that we use these funds for what they were donated for."

The governor's budget would sweep $20.6 million from the fund this year. The fund was also raided in 2010 ($18.8 million) and 2011 ($26.6 million).

"It's angered and disappointed many people for this to happen year after year," Triche said. "We need to take some action or this will happen by other administrations as well."

The act that established the fund in 1986 says dollars in it are to be used "to promote, develop, maintain, monitor, and enhance the artificial reef potential in the waters" of the state. That should be enough to provide them protection from other uses, Triche said.

Additionally, the Artificial Reef Development Fund is part of the constitutionally protected Conservation Fund, which provides funding for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries.

"We believe it is protected (already), but if the language needs to be explicit for protection, then we support that and believe Louisiana voters will as well," Triche said.

Commission chair Ronny Graham has said previously he would support any measure to protect artificial-reef fund money.